Of Meds & Meditation

On a quest to discover what slowing down can do for her insomnia, Samreen Tungekar experiences 72 hours of a reset at a wellness retreat

- By Samreen Tungekar

ADMITTING ON PAPER for the first time in my life: I'm a diagnosed insomniac. I haven't slept without medicine in a decade and spent a good part of my 20s battling deaddiction from a rather addictive sleeping pill that I was never prescribed. The last few years, however, have been positive—I've learnt to allow my body the number of hours it needs (women need more than eight hours, in case you didn't know), moving my body as much as my schedule allows, and keeping my sleep in check.

A few months ago, I chanced upon an invite for a new program by Marriott International: a Luxury Well-Being Series, for high-functioning individuals like myself who need guidance with wellness, both emotional and physical. Deciding to give myself this reset, I find myself navigating the lush green roads of Bali, as I arrive at Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, for an itinerary meant to disconnect you from routine and focus on your health. I'm neither a morning person nor a night owl—so a schedule that needed me to wake up at 6am for three days was rather daunting—but it's now or never, I decide.